Paddy sowing hit by deficit rainfall in Vizianagaram

Vizianagaram: The farmers of north Andhra, especially in Vizianagaram district are worrying about the kharif season as the district did not receive sufficient rains to sow the paddy crop. Currently, the farmers are scheduled to broadcast their paddy seeds by mid-June and after growing the nursery, they would start transplantation in mid-July and the transplantation should be completed by the mid-August. But due to less rainfall, the farmers could not broadcast the seeds so far.

This is the right season to get heavy rainfall and the farmers should be busy in their works like tilling of lands and purchasing of fertilizers and others. But due to less rainfall, the farmers are worrying about the kharif season and working hard to protect their paddy nurseries. Though this is a peak rainy season, the temperature is very high like a hot summer and so far, the district has received very less rainfall than normal rainfall. Still today, the farmers are anxiously looking at the sky for rain drops to broadcast the seeds.

The district has been cultivating paddy in 2.2 lakh hectares of land during kharif but so far only 15 percent of the farmers could broadcast the seeds. Lakhs of farmers are waiting for rains to participate in kharif operations but the situation is totally disappointed. Interestingly, the district has been in deficit in rainfall for the past few years. Minimum of 15-20 per cent of less rainfall is being recorded in the district for the past few years.

Though some mandals surrounded by forests may get good rainfall but rest of the areas are not like that and unfortunately, the high rainfall in those areas will not benefit the farmers.

The district should receive 173.7 mm of rainfall between June 1 to July 10 but it has received only 110.4 mm of rainfall and it means its facing scarcity of 36.4 per cent of rainfall. M Nukam Naidu, a farmer of Thotapalli village, stated "We have been in a crisis like situation for the past 10 years. The transplantation of paddy nurseries is also being delayed. I think the season would really begin in August as we have to broadcast the paddy seeds and it takes around one month to grownup. The delay would affect the yield." Assistant Director of Agriculture B Lakshmana Babu stated "The season should begin by June-end but the delay in rainfall totally affecting the paddy season. He hoped the district would get good rains and farmers can get normal yield."